Louisiana Style Country Ribs

Ingredients:

4-5 lbs. boneless country-style pork ribs

3 large onions, sliced

1 cup apple juice

1 Tbsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. granulated garlic

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp.dried thyme

1 tsp. celery seed

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced red bell pepper

½ cup celery

2 Tbsp. chopped garlic

2 cups ketchup

¼ cup Creole mustard

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Chopped fresh parsley

Louisiana Style Country Ribs

Directions:

1.Turn slow cooker on to “high” setting.

2.Trim the ribs of excess fat. Pat dry with paper toweling. Set aside.

3.Slice onions and place in slow cooker. Add apple juice. Cover slow cooker.

4. Combine paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, salt, 2 tsp. brown sugar, black pepper, thyme, celery seed, and cayenne. Rub spice mixture onto ribs. Place ribs on top of onions.

5.Cover slow cooker. When contents begin to boil, turn slow cooker down to “low” setting and cook for 3-4 hours.

6.To make sauce:

—Heat the canola oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Sweat the diced onion, bell pepper, diced celery, and chopped garlic for about 5 minutes.

—Add the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes.

—Puree sauce with a handheld blender (or blender or food processor) until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

—Reserve 1 cup of the sauce.

7.When the initial cooking of the ribs is done, remove them from the slow cooker, placing them in a deep dish. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Set aside.

8.Strain the contents of the slow cooker though a thin-mesh sieve. Using the backside of a large spoon, squeeze the onions to drain any remaining liquid from them. When the straining is completed, place the liquid into the refrigerator to congeal the fat for easy disposal. (The fat can be removed without putting it into the refrigerator. Use a spoon to skim it off or pour it into a gravy measuring cup and pour out the fat. Set aside.)

9.Return the ribs to the slow cooker. Pour the remaining sauce over the ribs. Cover the slow cooker and cook the ribs and sauce on “low” for one additional hour.

10.Reheat the onion soup in a saucepan, adding some pork base (or beef base) for a greater depth of flavor as well as salt and pepper to taste.

To serve:

For a first course, serve a warm bowl of the onion soup. If desired, add croutons and melt some cheese on top. Served as a plain broth, provide some good, crusty bread...perhaps torn pieces of toasted baguette.

For the main course, ladle some of the reserved sauce on top one rib and garnish it with fresh cut parsley. Serve mashed potatoes (or potato salad) and coleslaw as side dishes.